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Regiment: 6th Wisconsin Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp opposite Fredericksburg, Va.
May 25th, 1862
Dear Ruthie:
I received your kind and welcome letter some time ago but have delayed
answering it on the account of not having stamps. I got out and could procure them
for neither love nor money, but yesterday I was lucky enough to find two stamps,
and I bought them, and yesterday I sent to Washington for a lot of them and expect
them tomorrow before night.
Camp Secess
May 26th
Well, Ruthie, here I am in a deep forest of white oak and hickory lying in an
old Secess camp. I say old, not so, for the Rebels only left it the night before we came
in. We crossed the river Rappahannock about one o’clock yesterday, and on our
way here we caught a spy and Company A took charge of him and damn Major
Whaley took his horse. We should not have known him if it had not been for a
contraband that works for us in the Band, a smart and likely young nigga. So you
see we live in style. He does all our washing and such things. You spoke about my
finding a man for you. I will do my best. I suppose that if I can’t find anybody, I can
have the chance to commence a suit myself when I get back, can’t I? I shall be
changed that you will not know me when I get back, so it will all be right. What do
you say to that, ha! I guess I shall try another sheet.
Ruthie, when you visit Kit, just ask her how that little man of hers, a Mr.
Atwell of Co. E of this regiment, is getting along. He saw her picture one day, and he
up and wrote to her & you know he thought I was a good honest fellow, and so he
told me he had written to her, but don’t tell her that I told you until you have some
fun out of her. When we passed through Fredericksburg, we played Yankee Doodle.
Some of them seemed to like it, and some of them looked awful sour. Just about
two hours before we left camp, I sat looking over at the town, and all at once I saw a
large volley of smoke shoot up in the air and right after a tremendous crash & the
planks flew in every direction. It was a magazine that blowed up killing one man of
the 27th N.Y. Regiment, a guard, instantly. There was a great many Broun shells in
the house and a good many thousand cartridges. They don’t know how it happened
but think that he must have been handling the shells and dropped one, and it
bursted. It tore him all to pieces, tore his legs all off and blew him up in the air, and
he layed on one corner of the house and layed there until his brother came up and
took him down.
I must close with much love to you & sign myself your affectionate cousin.
Frank
